


Try Not to Imagine

by red_pandas_and_books



Category: Fablehaven Series - Brandon Mull
Genre: Angst, Hurt, Ouch, dragonwatch spoilers, why did I write this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-10-23 12:57:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17683898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/red_pandas_and_books/pseuds/red_pandas_and_books
Summary: How much you wanna bet Bracken dreams of Kendra rescuing him?





	Try Not to Imagine

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this because I needed something to cry myself to sleep at night.

Bracken leaned back against the stone wall, adjusting so it was more comfortable. He stretched his legs out on the floor before him. He'd found that if he spent his days sitting on the floor rather than on his cot, the sorry excuse of a bed would seem that much more comfortable when he actually needed to sleep.

As he sat, the air in the cell grew noticeably colder before eventually warming up again. Bracken had learned pretty quickly that happened every now and again when wraiths would pass by, and the Underking's dungeon was full of them. It didn't take a genius to figure out where he was.

The first part of his capture had been spent in Ronodin's personal dungeon. He'd been moved here suddenly, and he didn't like the implications of it. If Ronodin had bothered to transfer him away, it meant he had no immediate use for him. That did mean his cousin didn't have his first horn, but it also meant that his suffering would just be prolonged. Ronodin almost always got what he wanted, even before his corruption.

Bracken leaned his head back against the stone. There was something growing there, some sort of fungus he guessed, but he didn't care. It was spongy and if anything, it made the spot a little more comfortable.

There was another troubling part about his transfer though. Ronodin could have just thrown Bracken to the Underking to forget about him and let him wither, but that would mean letting go of his grudge, which Ronodin would never do. Plus, he would have had to barter with the King to allow Bracken to be kept there. The King may help Ronodin from time to time, but he was most certainly not at the unicorn's beck and call. Bracken being here was advantageous to Ronodin. He was here for a reason.

And that reason was certainly not for his comfort. The silence was unnerving. Even in his part of the Sphinx's dungeon there has almost always been some noise. He almost smiled wryly upon realized he would welcome even another prisoner groaning. Just something to tell him he was not alone.

Bracken sighed as he thought about the sorry state he was in. He actually  _missed_  that dungeon. It was awful being trapped for centuries, but at least most of them weren't spent in solitude. There would be no digging to other cells here; the Underking was meticulous about every part of his kingdom. The prison was old, but it was well taken care of and neatly organized. There was more than one exit and entrance which would help with escaping, but it also meant if any tunnels collapsed-- as happened often in the prison at Living Mirage-- workers could just build it back up again.

Bracken hadn't felt this lonely or hopeless since he'd first been imprisoned at Living Mirage. Though it had taken a couple of decades there before the hope of being rescued had sufficiently dimmed.

Plus he hadn’t minded the solitude back then. He was used to being alone, preferring it over company most of the time. But his last imprisonment taught him that he would much rather be with others than to sit alone in a dark cell. It also meant that he could coordinate with others to plan escapes.

The only way he would get out now is if Ronodin decided he wanted to take Bracken back to his private dungeon. It was quiet there too, but at least Ronodin came down every now and again to mock him. Sometimes his cousin would even just sit with him quietly.

Getting out of this cell would take a serious distraction of the Underking, if not his total takeover. Seth would probably love to meet the Underking. This would be much more his speed than the fairy kingdom would be, though Bracken would love to take him there too. He could see Seth trying to sneak up on fairies or going through some attempt to let a unicorn give him a ride. The latter would never work. Unicorns were too proud. Perhaps if Bracken had his third horn he would give him a ride. 

That would’ve been quite a sight. Bracken, his mother’s confidant and second in command, who was always told he was too aloof, condensing to give a shadow charmer a ride on his back. 

It started getting colder again, making Bracken wonder how long he’d been there thinking about Seth. Bracken tried to focus on something warm to try to keep the cold at bay. At Living Mirage, he often thought of his mother, sometimes his sisters, or even his father, though that was often too painful. Now, he thought of her as he closed his eyes.

He remembered seeing her for the first time. She was so bright, and she still was. Each fairykind was slightly different, but he'd never met one as bright as her. They all started with the same light, but as they drew closer to the light and exercised it, they got more. He knew instantly he could trust her because of her light.

She was like a little slice of home.

He'd heard a several people say, including Kendra herself, that she was like a battery. Bracken thought a generator was more appropriate. The fairies hadn't given her energy, they'd used the energy to change her so she could produce her own.

He tried not to imagine, he really tried not to, but he couldn’t help it. He imagined her footsteps coming down the hall before stopping outside his door. They would be light, her weight would be shifted on her toes. He could hear the metal door slowly open as she tried not to let it creak. The soft light would gently fill the cell before he would even see her. Kendra would peek in, eyes meeting his, a relieved smile lighting her face even more. She would whisper his name and come in, making sure the door was still open behind her so they could get out. He would stand to meet her as she would pull him into a hug. 

Bracken opened his eyes. The cell was as dark as ever. The back of his head felt wet from the fungus on the wall. Something like a cough welled up in his throat. A soft sob came out.Tears came pouring out almost in shock once he realized he was starting to cry. 

He stifled his noises as much as he could, putting the collar of his shirt up over his mouth. Even as alone as he felt, enemies were all around him, and he could not afford to have it reported back to the Underking, let alone Ronodin, that he was crying. 

Bracken hadn’t cried since he thought his father had died. Crying was something he never really did much of. Ronodin had always teased him for it when he was a child. He’d been tempted to many times during his last imprisonment, but had always found a reason to hope. 

He didn't want to hope right now. His greatest hope's lifetime was gone as quickly as the moon cycles. 

Bracken coughed to try to disguise his last sniffles. Kendra wouldn't come. He knew that was impossible. He knew that he shouldn't hope, but he also knew that come tomorrow, he would be imagining seeing her all over again.


End file.
